Now Commenting On:

Pitching key to Toronto's Interleague fortunes

Pitching key to Toronto's Interleague fortunes

6/18/11: Jose Bautista drives a single into center field, scoring Corey Patterson to give the Blue Jays a four-run lead

By Gregor Chisholm
/
MLB.com |

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays haven't exactly been major proponents of Interleague Play in recent seasons, but that's something the club hopes to change this year.

Toronto is coming off four consecutive losing seasons against the National League, and overall, the club is just 123-142 since Interleague Play was introduced in 1997.

That record has severely hampered the Blue Jays in the past and is something that the club would like to change if it expects to hang tough with the other contenders in the American League. The style of play may occasionally be different, but ultimately, success or failure will come down to starting pitching.

"The starting rotation has not only been consistent, but you could point to it as being one of the strengths of this team so far," said Blue Jays manager John Farrell, whose starting staff has ranked in the top five in ERA in the AL for the vast majority of the season.

"I also think that's a main contributor to having a good bullpen. When your starters go deep, guys that come to the mound out of the bullpen don't come with short rest. ... Any time a starter walks out for the seventh inning, I think we're not only in a good area, but sometimes positive territory in terms of what the rotation is doing."

The Blue Jays will be matched up against the NL East this season. Interleague Play gets under way on Friday with the Blue Jays playing host to Mets, and the Nationals and Phillies will also travel north of the border in June.

Toronto's other Interleague matchup will come against the NL Central's Brewers, with the two teams slated to play in Milwaukee. That set will feature the debut of former Brewers prospect Brett Lawrie at Miller Park, while former Blue Jays No. 1 starter Shaun Marcum could be matched up against his old teammates.

Here's a closer look at the upcoming matchups and which players might take on key roles:

Players to watch

Edwin Encarnacion, DH (.232, 12 HR, 27 RBI): The average isn't pretty, but Encarnacion has posted some impressive power numbers in Interleague Play. He's expected to move to first base at NL parks, perhaps relegating Adam Lind to the bench.

Bautista, RF (.267, 22 HR, 57 RBI): The former Pirate has enjoyed a lot of success against NL clubs over the past two seasons and will once again be relied upon to carry the bulk of the offensive load for a Toronto team that has struggled vs. the Senior Circuit.

Yunel Escobar, SS (.278, 3 HR, 19 RBI): Last year, Escobar received a multiyear contract extension while on a road trip during Interleague Play. This year, the former Braves infielder will look to take advantage of his familiarity with the NL and improve upon his largely average Interleague numbers.